A smart lock has intimidated me for so long but after installing the Schlage Sense- I don’t think we’d ever go back. I’m sharing all the simple installation tips and instructions as well as WHY we went for it today in my video tutorial!
Our entry way is coming along so nicely and I can’t wait to share the whole thing with you guys! If you remember what it looked like before, this is SUCH a big change! We are waiting on the rest of the stair rail to be powder coated and then we can install it and I can share this space – its’ going to be so good! Today I’m joining forces with the Modern Handmade Home girls and Schlage Canada and I’m sharing how we installed our new Schlage Sense smart lock and why we chose it. I’m not going to lie… this is a total game changer for us. Some upgrades are functional but not too exciting, but this is so exciting for me.
We have so many people in our lives that we want to have access to our home. We often share tools with my dad so he will pop in and pick up while we’re out and about. My mom gets off work earlier in the day and will often get to our place for dinner before I’m home from picking the kids up from school. Shane’s parents sometimes drop things off at our house for other siblings and We have friends that help out with house sitting when we’re away. And friends that help with plumbing… and bringing the kids home when I’m working… and did I mention we have sub contractors here from time to time when we can’t be home? That’s meant a lot of keys have been made for our houses over the years.
A couple months ago I had such a scare, you guys. My kids were having a grandparent weekend and I woke up to someone knocking on our door. When I got to the door- he ran away. And the door was unlocked. I realized that we’d left a key in the mailbox for a sub and forgotten to take it out. I was so spooked. We re-keyed our whole house that morning as soon as the locksmith opened. How freaky, right?! I’m so excited to give temporary codes to subs from now on- or better yet, just tap unlock on my phone when they arrive. It’s such a sense of security. I also love that I get notifications when the door is unlocked and can open my app to see which code was used (we made one for each person that comes regularly). You can also put it on a recurring schedule so if you had housekeeping once a week mondays at 3, you could have that specific code only work from 230-6 on mondays. Neat, right?!
Okay… enough about our why. Why didn’t we do this sooner?
Honestly… I thought smart locks were ugly. I just had never seen one that I loved. The big number buttons that you can see from the street and the super curvy handles just weren’t my jam. But then… I Spy DIY shared this exact set (I think!) in her IG stories (you can see it in this super cute photo). Then my friend Lindi got the same one. Um… it’s freaking gorgeous and I had to have it! When the opportunity came up to work with Schlage on this month’s Modern Handmade Home collaboration, I knew exactly what I wanted to work with.
So that’s my why- now let’s talk HOW! I have a whole video sharing how. Do you follow me on YouTube yet? I share on YouTube weekly but this is the first time the Modern Handmade Home girls have done a YouTube collaboration. I’m so excited to do these more regularly with them!
Can I let you in on a secret? I recorded this intro at like… 530 in the morning because I thought my kids would be asleep and quiet. NOPE! Two woke up before I even got to film so sat on the couch and watched me (an audience totally threw me- ha!) and then the baby woke up at the very end so I think you can hear him. The best plans, you guys ;P
OKAY! So I was really impressed by how easy this was. If you’ve ever installed a lockset before, this really isn’t much different- just with a battery and cable. And an app. But again… if you use pretty much any app… you’ve got this! It’s really well designed.
The video walks you through the entire installation process but if you have any questions at all- ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer! I thought that I’d answer some questions I’ve already been asked over social here, though!
Do you need the Schlage Sense Wifi Adapter?
Maybe. If you have an iPad that is always at home that can stay on your network and within range of the lock, you can use that. The adapter uses your wifi to communicate with your phone when you are not home. You can read more about that here.
Is the Keyless Entry Pad always lit up?
Nope! It fades almost as soon as you’re done pressing your buttons. It’s a touch screen and I love that you can’t see the buttons from the street- it totally doesn’t stand out as keyless entry. In a very good way. But that made it a pain to take pictures of- ha! I had to press the button, run back to snap the photo before it faded!
Can you replace an existing lock with a smart lock?
Yes! We were installing a new door already so we used that. You can replace pretty much any deadbolt with a smart lock. The handleset has a second hole that you need to drill through your door BUT if you already have a second hole drilled in your door that you’re hoping will match this one- the bolt that comes through the door will slide up and down to probably match the length you need!
Does the matte black hardware show fingerprints?
A little bit. But so does other finishes. The keypad however, does not so you don’t need to worry about people seeing what keys you’ve hit.
Does the doorknob come with the entry lock?
No, The entry lockset came with a lever. We replaced it with a door knob to match the rest of the door knobs in our main floor. We replaced all our doors and knobs with the Schlage Bowery knobs last year and love them. There’s one on the front hall closet right beside this door so it’s nice to have them matching!
ALL DOOR LOCK /KNOB SOURCES:
- Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Century Trim in Matte Black
- Schlage Century Front Entrance Handle with Kinsler Trim in Matte Black
- Schlage Sense Wifi Adapter
- Schlage Bowery Knob
Alright, I’ll leave it at that!And don’t forget to check out the other ladies posts! They’re covering some different topics around door hardware… and their spaces are so darn gorgeous!
Top to bottom / Left to right:
How to Install a Smart Lock – Lemon Thistle (me!)
How to replace a door knob – Harlow and Thistle
Upgrading with glass door knobs – The Learner Observer
Replacing Double Door Knobs/ Locks – Love Create Celebrate
PIN IT FOR LATER!
DIY Wall Mount Guitar Holder
I need this. I love the keyless lock we installed when my now senior was in elementary school, but this is so much better! Especially the recurring code for the cleaning company so I don’t have to manually add before and then remove after each time they come. And the ability to unlock remotely in case of emergency is awesome. I think it’s time to upgrade.
It’s amazing how far they’ve come!